Counterbalanced swimming pool cover



March 22, 1966 M. H. BAKER ETAL 3,241,157

COUNTERBALANCED SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed July 19, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hzzpzzfi G'Z'ZZZZZ J H INVENTORS F MEREDITH H BAKER 8 w CHARLES D. THOMASON March 22, 1966 M. H. BAKER ETAL 3,241,157

GOUNTERBALANCED SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed July 19, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS MERED/ TH H. BAKER, 8

CHARLES Z2 THOMASON March 22, 1966 M. H. BAKER ETAL 3,241,157

COUNTERBALANGED SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed July 19 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

FIG. 4.

INVENTORS MEREDITH H BA KER, a

CHA RL-ES D THO/MASON United States Patent 3,241,157 COUNTERBALANCED SWIMMING POOL COVER Meredith H. Baker, 6960 Eastondale Ave., Long Beach 5, Calif, and Charles D. Thomason, 15724 Lakewood Blvd., Bellflower, Calif.

Filed July 19, 1963, Ser. No. 296,350 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) The present invention relates to a cover for a swimming pool for protection of the pool from leaves and dirt and also for locking the pool against unauthorized use.

Presently in use are swimming pools of all sizes and shapes both residential and commercial. It has been found that a cover is a virtual necessity to keep dirt and leaves from blowing into the pool and to keep small children from falling into the pool or other persons from using the pool when not authorized to do so.

An object of the present invention is to provide a counterbalanced cover for a swimming pool which is light in weight, sturdy in construction, one easily raised from a use position to a non-use position, one which serves as a deck for support of people thereon when in the pool covering position, one which includes a patio type of roof structure overhead, the roof structure being intended to be constructed of translucent plastic sheets of the like, and one which may be manufactured at reasonable cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a counterbalanced cover for a swimming pool which may be employed with counterbalances alone or with an auxiliary electric motor and winch to assist in raising the cover from the use position to the non-use position, the covering having an unbalanced weight which permits it to be returned to the use position without the use of the winch in a reverse direction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swimming pool cover and patio roof structure over the cover which lends themselves to manufacture from lightweight materials such as plastic foam, plastic sheeting, aluminum or magnesium extrusions, and from any material desired.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the pool rim and the cover of the present invention with parts broken away,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the cover with a portion broken away,

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view partially in section, the dotted line showing indicating the movement of the cover from the out of use position to the use position,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view partially in section of a modified form of the cover with the floatation element in lowered position,

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 with the floatation element in a raised position,

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of a tool to be employed with the assembly shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 for raising and lowering the floatation element,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary detailed view partially in secion of a means for securing the cover in the use position, and

FIGURE 8 is a view partially in section showing another means for raising and lowering the cover of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3, in detail, the cover of the present invention is designated generally by the 3,241,157 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 reference numeral 10 and the swimming pool with which it is associated is designated by the numeral 12.

A plurality of posts 14 rise from the ground surface 16 adjacent the rim of the pool 12 and are spaced from each other so as to extend about the perimeter of the pool 12. A roof structure, indicated generally by the numeral 18, extends over the upper ends of the posts 14 in covering relation with respect to the cover 10.

There is shown most clearly in FIGURE 3 a pulley 20, which is mounted in the upper end of the posts 14 for rotation about a horizontally axis 22. A mid-part of a cable 24 travels over the pulley 20 and has one end secured to an eye formation 26 on the cover 10. The other end of the cable 24 carries a counterweight assembly 28 slidable within the posts 14.

Each post 14 is anchored in a footing element 30 by means of anchoring bolts 32 and washer and nut assemblies 34 threadedly connected to the upper ends of the bolts 32.

The roof structure 18 consists in beams 36, transverse joists 38, and a roof plate 40 supported on the joints 38.

An important feature resides in the provision of a plurality of floatation elements 42, being characterized as elements that float on water, and are shown as depending from and supporting the cover 10. Each floatation element 42 is hollow or is of a material that floats and is provided with an internally threaded tube 44 and with a nut shaped recess 46 in the bottom thereof.

Fixedly mounted on the cover 10 is a hollow tube 48 having external threads 50 matching the internal threads of the tube 44. The upper end of the tube 48 is provided with a flange 52 having an opening 54 therethrough for insertion of an elongated shank 56 having a wrench head 58 on the lower end thereof.

The wrench head 58 is of a size and shape to conformably fit within the recess 46 for rotating the floatation elements 42 to thereby raise and lower the same relative to the underside of the cover 10.

The underside of the cover 10 is provided with electric illuminating means such as housings 60 facing downwardly so as to illuminate the pool when the cover 10 is in the raised position.

In FIGURE 7 there is shown a means for preventing unauthorized. removal of the cover 10 when the cover 10 is in the covering position with respect to the swimming pool 12. This means consists in a hasp 62 having an end portion 64 anchored in the ground surface 16 and having its movable portion engageable with an eye formation 66 projecting from an end or a side of the cover 10.

In FIGURE 8 is shown a modified form of the invention in which the roof structure 18' carried by the posts 14' includes a winch assembly 68 to which is connected one end of the cable 24, the other end of the cable 24 being connected to the cover 10. The winch assembly 68 includes a motor 70 and the control of the motor is most conveniently a switch 72 in circuit with a source of electrical energy.

As it is most desirable that the counterweight 28 be within the hollow posts 14, an intermediate pulley 74 is used and mounted below the pulley 20.

Preferably, the float 10 and roof structure 18 is fabricated of conventional materials using as much as possible of plastic foam, lightweight girters and lightweight covering materials.

The cover 10 and the roof struture 18 also lends itself to fabrication from extruded aluminum, magnesium, or the like. Various materials may be used as is found practical and as desired and the sizes of the cover and roof structure may be varied to fit any known size of pool.

It will be seen that an advantage of the cover, with or without the roof structure, may be used as a patio floor for seasons when the pool is not used. Reinforcement of the cover may be made in any manner desired when it is so used. Also, the cover serves in cool weather to keep the temperature of the water in the pool relatively warmer than the air, after a warm day with the pool in use.

While only preferred embodiments or forms of the present invention have been shown and described, other forms of the invention are contemplated and numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A swimming pool cover comprising a fiat cover adapted to extend over a swimming pool open top, a floatation element disposed below the underside of said cover inwardly of an edge thereof and adapted to float on the top of the water within said pool, and means for adjustably securing said element to said cover, said means including a hollow internally threaded tube extending into said element, and an externally threaded hollow tube fixedly depending from said cover underside threadedly arranged with respect to said internally threaded tube and a nut shaped recess in the bottom of said floatation element adapted to receive a tool to thereby raise and lower said floatation element relative to said cover 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced posts bound the perimeter of a swimming pool, said flat cover disposed between said posts, and means connecting adjacent portions of said cover to said posts for upward and downward movement of said cover relative to the top of said swimming pool.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced posts bound the perimeter of a swimming pool, said fiat cover disposed between said posts, means connecting adjacent portions of said cover to said posts for upward and downward movement of said cover relative to the top of the swimming pool, said means consisting in a pulley mounted in the upper end of each of said posts, and a cable having a mid-part traveling over said pulley, said cable having one end secured to an adjacent portion of said cover and carrying on its other end a counterweight.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced posts bound the perimeter of a swimming pool, means connecting adjacent portions of said cover to said posts for upward and downward movement of said cover relative to the top of the swimming pool, said means consisting in a pulley mounted in the upper end of each of said posts, and a cable having a mid-part traveling over said pulley, said cable having one end secured to an adjacent portion of said cover and carrying on its other end a counterweight, said means also including a winch and other cables connecting said winch to said cover.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced posts bound the perimeter of a swimming pool, means connecting adjacent portions of said cover to said posts, said means consisting in a pulley mounted in the upper end of each of said posts, and a cable having a mid-part traveling over said pulley, said cable having one end secured to an adjacent portion of said cover and carrying on its other end a counterweight disposed within said posts.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced posts bound the perimeter of a swimming pool, said means consisting in a pulley mounted in the upper end of each of said posts, a cable having a mid-part traveling over said pulley, said cable having one end secured to an adjacent portion of said cover, and a counterweight disposed within said posts and secured to the other end of said cable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,052 6/1938 Robert 61 al. 9- s 2,281,748 5/1942 Carney 220-26 2,655,223 10/1953 Villars 4-172 2,867,346 1/1959 Charnpagnat 4 -172 3,009,166 11/1961 Sears 4-172 3,051,964 9/1962 Fisher et 61 4 172 5,072,920 1/1963 Yellott 4-172 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Examiner. 

1. A SWIMMING POOL COVER COMPRISING A FLAT COVER ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER A SWIMMING POOL OPEN TOP, A FLOATATION ELEMENT DISPOSED BELOW THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID COVER INWARDLY OF AN EDGE THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO FLOAT ON THE TOP OF THE WATER WITHIN SAID POOL, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING SAID ELEMENT TO SAID COVER, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A HOLLOW INTERNALLY THREADED TUBE EXTENDING INTO SAID ELEMENT, AND AN EXTERNALLY THREADED HOLLOW TUBE FIXEDLY DEPENDING FROM SAID COVER UNDERSIDE THREADEDLY ARRANGED WITH RESPECT TO SAID INTERNALLY THREADED TUBE AND A NUT SHAPED RECESS IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID FLOATATION ELEMENT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TOOL TO THEREBY RAISE AND LOWER SAID FLOATATION ELEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID COVER. 